Efeitos da porosidade de aeração na nutrição mineral do feijoeiro (Phaseolus vulgaris L: )

Foram realizados experimentos em casa de vegetação, na ESALQ-USP, em Piracicaba, SP, com amostras de terra do horizonte A e B2 de um Oxisol (LR) e um Alfisol(PVp) sem e com adubação mineral e calagem, para verificar a influência da variação na porosidade de aeração (de 24 a 3%) sobre parâmetros nutricionais do feijoeiro Aroana 80, conduzido até o final do ciclo. Procurou-se alcançar a saturação do complexo de troca em 80% com bases, numa relação Ca:Mg:K de 16:4:1, e um nível de P disponível de 15 ppm. 0 conteúdo de água dos 2,5 litros de terra por vaso foi mantido entre 100 e 70% da capacidade de campo. A redução na porosidade de aeração afetou genericamente o teor absoluto e relativo de P e a relação N/P. Alterou a eficiência nutricional do N no horizonte B2 de ambos os solos, de Cu no LR e de Mn no PVp, em ambos os horizontes. Ocorreram especificidades quanto ao tipo de solo e horizonte e interferência do nível de fertilidade.

Estudo comparativo entre fatores químicos na produção de feijoeiro (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) em dois tipos de solos, em casa de vegetação

Foram realizados experimentos em casa-de-vegetação na ESALQ-USP, em Piracicaba, SP, com vasos contendo 2,5 litros de amostra de terra do horizonte A e B2 de um Oxisol (LR) e um Alfisol (PVp), sem e com calagem e adubação mineral, para verificar quais os fatores químicos-nutricionais em deficiência no horizonte B2 dos solos, comparados com o horizonte superficial, deverão ser considerados para a exploração adequada do potencial genético de produção do feijoeiro Aroana 80. Pode ser verificado que a saturação do complexo de troca com bases, e a consequente redução na saturação em Al não foi suficiente para alcançar uma produção adequada de grãos. Através da avaliação dos teores relativos e de relações entre nutrientes, pode ser constatada a necessidade de consideração genérica dos teores de P, Mg e das relações P/Zn, N/Zn, Mg/Cu e P/Fe, além dos teores e relações específicas a cada solo, considerando um estado nutricional padrão para a variedade. Em solos corrigidos e adubados os micronutrientes devem ser considerados, como também a matéria orgânica no horizonte B2, que apareceu com níveis abaixo do necessário para suprir o complexo organo-argiloso.

Eficiência do uso da água na produção de matéria seca e de grãos de feijoeiro (Phaseolus vulgaris)

Foram realizados experimentos em casa de vegetação, na Escola Superior de Agricultura "Luiz de Queiroz" - USP, em Piracicaba, SP, com amostras de terra do horizonte A e B2 de um Oxisol (LR) e um Alfisol (PVp), sem e com calagem e adubação mineral, para verificar a influência da variação da porosidade de aeração (5,1 a 28,7%) sobre o comportamento do feijoeiro Aroana 80. O conteúdo de água dos 2,5 litros de terra por vaso foi mantido entre 100 e 70% da capacidade de campo. Foi constatado que a porosidade de aeração afeta a produção de grãos (1,5 a 20,8/planta), além da matéria seca radicular, da parte aérea, da matéria seca total e a relação parte aérea/raízes (3,1 a 12,7). Não influenciou o peso de mil grãos (135 a 254 g), o índice de colheita (0,18 a 0,50), a eficiência no uso de água (428 a 911 ml/g m.s. e 854 a 419 ml/g grãos) e o ciclo da cultura (86 a 101 dias). O nível de fertilidade afetou praticamente todos os dados considerados.

Porosidade de aeração de solos para a máxima produção de grãos de feijoeiro, em casa de vegetação

Foram realizados experimentos em casa de vegetação, na Escola Superior de Agricultura "Luiz de Queiroz", USP, em Piracicaba, SP, com amostras de terra do horizonte A1 ou Ap e B2 de um Oxisol (LR) e um Alfisol (PVp), sem e com adubação mineral e calagem, para verificar qual é a porcentagem de poros com diâmetro maior que 0,05 mm, numa faixa de 3 a 24%, que corresponde a máxima produção de grãos de feijoeiro cultivar Aroana 80. 0 conteúdo de água, dos 2,5 litros de terra por vaso, foi mantido entre 100 e 70% da capacidade de vaso. Pode ser constatada uma faixa preferencial entre 9 e 16% de poros de aeração, sendo deslocada para uma faixa entre 24 e 29% de macroporos, quando ocorrer maior taxa de acúmulo de matéria seca, e provavel menor fornecimento de O2 nos pontos de crescimento radicular em solos com agregados pequenos de grande estabilidade e maior conteúdo de água.

A measure of the intensity of response to alcohol to screen for alcohol use disorders in primary care.

Alcohol-dependent subjects tend to report lower level of response to alcohol (LR) in the years before the disorder developed, compared to control subjects. The Self-Rating of the Effects of alcohol (SRE) score is a quick and valid retrospective estimate of LR. This study examined the associations between alcohol abuse or dependence and early experience of alcohol as measured on retrospective SRE score (relating to the first five times alcohol was imbibed), and the presence of alcohol abuse or dependence, in patients attending primary care. Higher Early SRE score (i.e. greater early tolerance of alcohol) was obtained in patients with an alcohol-related diagnosis than in patients without those diagnoses. Using a cut-off of 2 on the Early SRE score, the Early SRE score could discriminate between patients with and without an alcohol diagnosis with moderate to high sensitivity (84%) and modest specificity (57%).

Variation of the Oviposition Preferences of Aedes aegypti in Function of Substratum and Humidity

Two Aedes aegypti (L.) populations were studied in the laboratory regarding the preference for three types of breeding sites, i.e., flasks containing only water, flasks with a plant and flasks with a stick. Each of these breeding units was placed in one cage and the choice of the oviposition sites was determined for individual females and three females per experimental unit at two humidity levels. Preference for ovipositing on the water surface was observed and varied according to experimental unit and humidity. Mean hatching of eggs in water surface was 46.6%. Experiments with three females showed a more marked difference than when only one female was used. Inter and intrapopulation variability regarding oviposition sites was observed. The discrimination between the different oviposition substrates, hatching in water surface and its implication for mosquito control are discussed.

Water-filtered infrared-A radiation (wIRA) is not implicated in cellular degeneration of human skin

Rapport de synthèse : Introduction : le vieillissement cutané est un processus biologique complexe auquel participe une exposition excessive au rayonnement ultraviolet du soleil. En particulier, les longueurs d'onde des rayons ultraviolets A et B (UV-A et UV-B) peuvent induire une augmentation de la synthèse de protéases, comme la métalloprotéinase matricielle 1 (MMP-1), qui est impliquée dans le processus de vieillissement. La thermothérapie par infrarouges, dont les longueurs d'onde sont plus longues que celles des UV, est largement utilisée à des fins thérapeutiques ou cosmétiques. Or, il a été démontré que les infrarouges en filtration aqueuse (IRFA) pouvaient induire une augmentation de la production de MMP-1 et par conséquent être nocifs. Il serait donc intéressant d'évaluer les effets des IRFA au niveau cellulaire et moléculaire. But Expérimental : étudier les effets des lampes à infrarouges en filtration aqueuse utilisées en clinique sur des fibroblastes cutanés humains en culture, afin d'analyser l'expression du gène codant pour la protéine MMP-1. Méthode : des fibroblastes cutanés humain ont été irradiés d'une part avec approximativement 88% d'IRFA (780-1400 nm) et 12% de lumière rouge (LR, 665-780 nm) avec 380 mW/cm2 IRFA(+LR) (333 mW/cm2 IRFA) et d'autre part avec des UV-A comme contrôle. Des courbes de survie cellulaire ont été établies après une exposition allant de 15 minutes à 8 heures au IRFA(+LR) (340-10880 J/cm2 wIRA(+RL), 300-9600 J/cm2 wIRA) ou de 15 à 45 minutes aux UV-A(+BL) (25-75 J/cm2 UV-A(+BL). L'induction de l'ARNm du gène de la MMP-1 a été analysé dans les fibroblastes cutanés humain à deux températures physiologiques (30°C et 37°C) lors d'expositions uniques de 15 à 60 minutes aux IRFA(+LR) (340-1360 J/cm2 IRFA(+LR), 300-1200 J/cm2 IRFA) ou de 30 minutes aux UV-A(+BL) (50 J/cm2 UVA(+BL)). De plus, nous avons effectué des irradiations répétées, une a chaque passage cellulaire jusqu'au passage. 10 de 15 minutes d'IRFA(+LR) 340 J/cm2 IRFA(+LR), 300 J/cm2 IRFA) . Résultats : une exposition unique aux UV-A (+BL) entraîne chez des fibroblastes cutanés humains une augmentation de la mort cellulaire, ainsi qu'une forte augmentation de l'expression du gène codant pour la MMP-1. L'augmentation mise en évidence pour cet ARNm varie en fonction de la technique utilisée : elle est de 11 ± 1 fois par RT-PCR classique, de 76 ± 2 fois par RT-PCR quantitative à 30°C, et de 75 ± 1 fois par RT-PCR quantitative à 37°C. Par contre, une exposition unique ou répétée aux IRFA (+LR) n'induit aucune augmentation de la mort cellulaire, ni de l'expression de l'ARNm de la MMP-1 chez ces fibroblastes. Conclusions : les résultats de cette étude montrent que, contrairement aux rayons ultraviolets, les IRFA (+LR) ne semblent impliqués ni dans le vieillissement, ni dans la mort cellulaire, même utilisés à des doses très élevées. Ces résultats sont en accord avec certaines investigations in vivo montrant une induction de MMP-1 par des UV et non des infrarouges. Ces dernières études suggèrent d'ailleurs plutôt un rôle protecteur des IRFA (+LR).

Taeniasis-cysticercosis in Southern Ecuador: assessment of infection status using multiple laboratory diagnostic tools

Taenia solium-taeniasis and cysticercosis were studied in the human and porcine populations of a rural community in the Southern Ecuadorian Andes. From the 1059 inhabitants, 800 serum samples and 958 stool samples could be collected. In addition, 646 from the estimated 1148 pigs were tongue inspected. Circulating antigen was detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (Ag-ELISA) in 2.25% of the human population, whereas intestinal taeniasis was detected in 1.46% by the formalin-ether technique. Following treatment and recovery of tapeworm fragments these were all identified as T. solium. Porcine cysticercosis was diagnosed in 3.56% of the pigs by tongue inspection. In addition, enzyme linked immunoelectrotransfer blot (EITB) was performed on a subset group of 100 humans to confirm the results of the Ag-ELISA. One hundred serum samples from pigs were also analysed by EITB. It appeared that 43 and 74% of humans and pigs had antibodies against T. solium cysticerci, respectively. It is concluded that contrary to the high exposure of the human population to T. solium that is suggested by EITB, the number of active cysticercosis cases, diagnosed by Ag-ELISA, was low, which may indicate endemic stability. The further use of complementary diagnostic methods for a better understanding of the epidemiology of T. solium is suggested.

High-density electric source imaging (esi) in focal epilepsy: a prospective study of 150 operated patients

Purpose: EEG is mandatory in the diagnosis of the epilepsy syndrome. However, its potential as imaging tool is still under estimated. In the present study, we aim to determine the prerequisites of maximal benefit of electric source imaging (ESI) to localize the irritative zone in patients with focal epilepsy. Methods: One hundred fifty patients suffering from focal epilepsy and with minimum 1 year postoperative follow-up were studied prospectively and blinded to the underlying diagnosis. We evaluated the influence of two important factors on sensitivity and specificity of ESI: the number of electrodes (low resolution, LR-ESI: <30 versus high resolution, HR-ESI: 128-256 electrodes), and the use of individual MRI (i-MRI) versus template MRI (t-MRI) as the head model. Findings: ESI had a sensitivity of 85% and a specificity of 87% when HR-ESI with i-MRI was used. Using LR-ESI, sensitivity decreased to 68%, or even 57% when only t-MRI was available. The sensitivity of HR-ESI/i-MRI compared favorably with those of MRI (76%), PET (69%) and ictal/interictal SPECT (64%). Interpretation: This study on a large patient group shows excellent sensitivity and specificity of ESI if 128 EEG channels or more are used for ESI and if the results are coregistered to the patient's individual MRI. Localization precision is as high as or even higher than established brain imagery techniques. HR-ESI appears to be a valuable additional imaging tool, given that larger electrode arrays are easily and rapidly applied with modern EEG equipment and that structural MRI is nearly always available for these patients.

Histopathological study of Schistosoma mansoni infection in the murine model using the PC (Pará) and LILA (Maranhão) strains

Experimental models of Schistosoma mansoni infections in mammals have contributed greatly in understanding the pathology and pathogenesis of human infection. The absence of earlier reviews regarding specific strains of the Amazon region prompted research, which the main objective was to describe histopathological lesions in different phases of schistosomiasis in a murine model using PC (Pará) and LILA (Maranhão) S. mansoni strains. One hundred and eighty young female albino swiss mice (Mus musculus) were used and were randomly divided into five groups (PC-01, PC-02, LILA-01, LILA-02, and controls), according to the number of cercariae injected and the strain adopted. Animals were sacrificed in predetermined periods (35, 56, 112, 156, and 180 days) in an attempt to follow the evolution of the disease in the histological sections of their tissues at different phases of infection. Our findings were compatible with the data already described by others authors using different strains of S. mansoni, making it possible to identify some peculiarities, which are discussed in this work. In conclusion, the strains of parasite used did not modify the histopathological findings in the tissues of infected mice in any significant way when compared with the results of other studies using different strains.

Spatial modelling of Lutzomyia (Nyssomyia) whitmani s.l. (Antunes & Coutinho, 1939) (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) habitat suitability in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil

Lutzomyia (Nyssomyia) whitmani s.l.is the main vector of cutaneous leishmaniasis in state of Mato Grosso, but little is known about environmental determinants of its spatial distribution on a regional scale. Entomologic surveys of this sand fly species, conducted between 1996 and 2001 in 41 state municipalities, were used to investigate the relationships between environmental factors and the presence of the species, and to develop a spatial model of habitat suitability. The relationship between averaged CDC light trap indexes and 15 environmental and socio-economic factors were tested by logistic regression (LR) analysis. Spatial layers of deforestation tax and the Brazilian index of gross net production (IGNP) were identified as significant explanatory variables for vector presence in the LR model, and these were then overlaid with habitat maps. The highest habitat suitability in 2001 was obtained for the heavily deforested areas in the Central-North, South, East, and Southwest of Mato Grosso, particularly in municipalities with lower IGNP values.

Vers un nou model psicopedagògic d'intervenció educativa

L'objectiu d'aquest article és el plantejament d'un Model d'intewenció Psicopedagògica en el Procés Educatiu que doni resposta a les necessitats educatives, en els cicles d'Educació Infantil i Primària, i amb capacitat d'adaptació als canvis, ara que la nova reforma del sistema educatiu comença a emmarcar la realitat educativa.La seva implantació és en realitat un fet palpable: durant el curs 92/93 s'inicia la sevaaplicació als alumnes del 2n Cicle de l'Ensenyament Infantil i als del lr de l'Ensenyament Primari

Evidence evaluation in fingerprint comparison and automated fingerprint identification systems: modeling between finger variability

In the context of the investigation of the use of automated fingerprint identification systems (AFIS) for the evaluation of fingerprint evidence, the current study presents investigations into the variability of scores from an AFIS system when fingermarks from a known donor are compared to fingerprints that are not from the same source. The ultimate goal is to propose a model, based on likelihood ratios, which allows the evaluation of mark-to-print comparisons. In particular, this model, through its use of AFIS technology, benefits from the possibility of using a large amount of data, as well as from an already built-in proximity measure, the AFIS score. More precisely, the numerator of the LR is obtained from scores issued from comparisons between impressions from the same source and showing the same minutia configuration. The denominator of the LR is obtained by extracting scores from comparisons of the questioned mark with a database of non-matching sources. This paper focuses solely on the assignment of the denominator of the LR. We refer to it by the generic term of between-finger variability. The issues addressed in this paper in relation to between-finger variability are the required sample size, the influence of the finger number and general pattern, as well as that of the number of minutiae included and their configuration on a given finger. Results show that reliable estimation of between-finger variability is feasible with 10,000 scores. These scores should come from the appropriate finger number/general pattern combination as defined by the mark. Furthermore, strategies of obtaining between-finger variability when these elements cannot be conclusively seen on the mark (and its position with respect to other marks for finger number) have been presented. These results immediately allow case-by-case estimation of the between-finger variability in an operational setting.